The Importance of Accounting For Small Businesses

March 24, 2018

3 min read

Bookkeeping is essential for any business, despite smaller organizations feeling as if it can be overlooked. As a small business owner, you should research the accounting practices which are applied by Fortune 500 companies. If they’re good enough for the cream of the crop, they’re certainly good enough for you. By adopting basic accounting principles, your business will be positioned for success. Practices include record-keeping, financial analysis, monitoring expenses, and discovering new avenues of growth.

Accounting will ensure you’re responsible for tax obligations and that you avoid paying penalties for misconduct. It is more than just managing the billing and receivables module, credits and debits. This article will outline the importance of accounting for small businesses, stretching beyond the basic perception of accounting.

To start off, let’s look at aspects of accounting which affect everyday business decisions. These include:

Closely monitoring your Accounts Receivable: This can help illustrate trends and behaviors. It can also reduce costs associated with pursuing late payers.

Establishing a detailed budget: This can help you discover inefficiencies.

Monitor sudden changes in vendor costs or sales revenue: Keep you up to speed with important industry changes.

Understanding your financial position: Allows you to identify problem areas that can interfere with loans for expansion.

Reviewing Your Accounting Strategy

It’s important to assess your company goals before engaging in good accounting practices. Your survival as a business will hinge on clearly defined financial objectives. Whether you aspire to make as much profit as possible or are passionate about offering a product or service you believe in, your motivations will shape your strategy. One of the most common reasons small businesses fail is cash flow running dry. You can prevent this by implementing policies for effective record-keeping. This is an important part of a sound financial strategy.

Taxes are Unavoidable

The IRS has strict requirements regarding the nature of information you need to share with them. Filing the correct documentations will help you avoid legal liability. Submitting incorrect documentation can be costly in terms of fees and penalties. With the correct tax documentations in place, you can learn about the health of your business. Statements provide a clearer picture of your business than your bank balance, so understanding IRS requirements is a great way to learn about your company’s financial health.

Use Accounting Software

A great way to get up to speed with accounting practices is by using software. This can take some of the difficulty out of the process, aligning with technological trends which are prominent in society. Digital bookkeeping can improve manual calculations, automatically crunch numbers, track performance metrics, and assist data entry. All you’ll need to do is enter information correctly, from which point the accuracy of calculations is virtually guaranteed. To find the right software platform, you can research online and discover something suitable. This can increase company efficiency with minimal effort, especially if it integrates with office management programs, pay accounts receivables, rent invoices, and data trends.

Working With a Professional Firm

Though you can probably get away with doing your own bookkeeping early on, as operations expand it’s important to utilize professional help to avoid being overwhelmed. Firms like Wiss & Company are on hand to fulfill your accounting requirements. These firms are a great help, and can help you on route to creating financial stability. They can use their leverage to provide top-notch accounting solutions, specializing in small businesses. Working with a professional firm is great if you lack accounting skills and allows you to focus on your core competencies.